Outlet-box hanger.



Patented Aug. 27, 191s.

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f' per ends f to permit engagement with a CONRAD GRUNHOW, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

OUTLET-BOX HANGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1918.

Application filed October 5, 1917. Serial No. 194,934.

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, CONRAD GRUNHOW, a-citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Outlet-Box Hangers.` of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in outlet box hangers, and more particularly to a fitting for securing an outlet box to a cleat hanger. n

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a fitting which may be readily attached or detached at any desired point on a bar without the necessity of sliding the saine' over the endof the bar.

Another object of the invention is to provide a' fitting which may be readily applied toV arbar and fastened in place without the necessity of the workmans using more than one hand in the operation.

A still further object of the invention is` to provide a sturdy, rugged, inexpensive construction which will be efficient in operation and adaptable to-many different conditions.

Still other and further objects will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art froml a consideration of the following description and drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through a hanger bar, showing two boxes supported on my improved fittings, one being shown in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line' 2 2 of Fie. 1 on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 isa plan' view of the fitting shown in= Fig. 2.

Fig.' t is a vertical sectional view through a rmodified form of fitting.

Fig. 5' is aplan view of the fitting shown in' Fig. 4.

Fig. 6'v is a vertical sectional view through still another modified form of fitting. and:

Fig. 7- isa plan View of the fitting shown in Fig. 6'.

`In the4 drawings, I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention in Figs. 1', 2, andI 3, the other two forms illustrated in- Figs. t and fand Figs. Grand 7 being modifications thereof.

The outlet box hanger comprises a fitting adapted to be passed through the central openingin th'eboxand carriestwo opstanding, spaced-apart arms; shaped at their uphanger bar at any desired point without the necessity of longitudinally sliding the same into position.

Referring to the form of fitting shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the numeral 10 indicates the base from which projects upwardly a pair of spaced-apart arms 11 of arcuate planar outline to permit their passage through the circular opening in the center of the outlet box. The opening or space between the arms 11 is approximately equal to the width of the hanger bar 12 and from opposite edges of the upper end 1iortions of the arms 11, l have formed arcuate continuations or wings 13 which extend over the opposite sides of the bar and carry at their ends downwardlv extending prongs or hooks 1i, for engagement with theV openings 15 in the bar. The distance between the end of each prong 14 and the edge of the opposite arm 11, is somewhat greater than the thickness of the bar 1Q so as to permit the removal of the fitting by lifting it up and turning it sidewise upon the bar. A reversal of the operation permits the attachment of the fitting with its box to any selected position upon the cleat bar.

A flat plate 16 extends through the space between the npstzfn'niling arms 11 and at its outer ends is flanged over to provide prongs 117 which extend over the edges of the arms 11 to'hold the plate in place preventing its displacement without interfering with its free vertical movement within the opening. The ends of the plate bear againstI the under side of the box and hold it up against the cleat bar; The lower end of the base 10 extends downwardly as at 18 and is threaded to receive a fixture indicated in dotted lines at 19 in Fig. 1. The threaded lower end is provided with a counter sunk recess i0 to receive the head 21 of the screw 22 which takes through the wall of metal in the base 10 at the bottom of the recess 20. This screw is of sufficient length so that when the head 21 is within the recess 20, the upper end of the screw will bear against the plate 16 which lies below and inside the outlet box 28 and presses the same upwardly into engageinent with the cleat bar 12 preventing its disengagement from the prongs 14 of the fitting.

The attachment or detachment of an outlet box to a cleat bar is very simple with this form of fitting and may be accomplished with one hand, a feature of importance when doing overhead work as iu putting up outlet boxes 'for ceiling lights. The screw 22 is run out t'ar enough lo bring the plate 1G near the bottom of the space between arms 11 11. T he litting is then pushed through the opening` in the top ot' the outlet box and the worliman can then hold the fitting in one hand and reach up to the cleat bar which ma v have alcead)v been nailed in place. The itting is held horizontal. and its open end slid over the side ot the bar until the hooks 1l are bevond lne edge ot' the bar. The litting is then swung down into a vertical position and the hooks 1-.t positioned in the openings 15 in the bar. These openings are positioned at coi'ivenient places throughout the length ot' the bar to receive attaching nails or the stove bolts used in some tvpes otl hangers. rEhe ivorlnnan ma)v then remove his hand. and the box will remain in its selected position. With the same hand he can then take a screw driver and tighten up screw which clamps the parts together preventing withdrawal ot the hooks 1l.

This me tvpe of hanger ma)7 be used either with a deep outlet box with knock outs in the sides as indicated at 223 in Fig. 1, set in an ollset portion ol the cleat bar, or with a shallow box as at 2l for attachment to the straight part ot' the bar. 1n either event the fitting can be attached or detached bv simpl); hooking or uuhooliing it over the side of the bar, a decided advantage over studs which are slidable upon a bar and can onlv be attached or detached bv sliding over an end of the bar, or cannot be removed at all as in the case of a stud positioned in an ott'set bent portion of a bar.

In Figs. d and o, l have illustrated a modification in which the fitting is formed from a straight bar of metal bent into U form, the upstanding arms SOY-30 being swedged into arcuate cross-section to permit threading` of the bottom portion as at 31 and to permit the upper portion to extend through the circular opening' in the outlet box Diametrically opposite holes are drilled in the upper ends otl the arms to receive a nail of the same sir/ie as is used in attaching the cleat bar to the floor beams. plat-e 16 formed with hooks 17 identical, with the one heretofore described, is positioned beneath the box and is clamped into box holding position by means of a screw 3st taking through the base oif the hanger.

ln Fig (3 and 7 still another variation is shown which the arms 4f() project upvided with a central opening to receive a hanger and with two pairs ot diametrically opposite, spaced-a part bolt holes 13 arranged to receive the bolts used with one tvpe of hanger now on the market. 1n Figs. (5 and 7, I have shown the plate til formed with extensions t5 from the ends of which depend -tongues 1G for engagement with an opposite pair of box openings l?) to prevent relative rotation ot' the box and hanger. The lips l? extend trom the sides ot the washer as in the previouslv described instances to prevent removal ot the plate from the hanger.

lhereas 1 have illustrated and described a preferred form of the invention with two possible modifications. it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that man v changes and modilications ma)Y be made, therein, without departing` from the spirit of the invention or the scope ot the appended claims.

Having described mv invention, what 1 claim is 1. An outlet box hanger, comprising a bar, a fitting adapted to pass through an opening in the box. and having a vertical opening in its upper end portion to receive the bar, a. plate verticali)v slidable within. the opening in the fitting and adapted to be positioned beneath the opening in the box, and a screw fitting for engagement with said plate to torce the same against the box.

An outlet box hanger comprising a bar7 a fitting adapted to pass through an opening in the box and having a vertical opening in its upper end portion to receive the bar, a plate vertically slidable within the opening in the fitting and adapted to be positioned beneath the opening' in the box, projections on the plate to prevent its removal from the fitting, and a screw taking axially through the lower end of the fitting for engagement with said plate to force the saine against the box.

3. 1n combination with an outlet box having an opening, a hanger comprising a bar, a fitting adapted to pass through an opening in the box and having a vertical opening in its upper end portion to receive the bar7 a plate verticall7 slidable within the opening in the fitting, and adapted to be positioned beneath the opening` in the box, said box having diametrically opposite openings at each side ot the opening through which the litting passes, prongs carried by the plate for engagement with the diametrically opposite openings, and a screw taking axially through the lower end of the fitting for erigagement with said plate to force the same against the box.

t. An outlet box hanger comprising a bar, a litting adapted to pass through an opening in the box, said fitting having upwardlv extending spaced-apart arms, means on the ends of the arms for engagement with the taking axiallyv through the lower end of the t bar, a plate positioned within the space between the arms, and adapted to underlie the box, and a screw taking through the bottom of the fitting for engagement with the plate to clamp the parts together.

5. An outlet box hanger comprising a bar, a fitting adapted to pass through an opening in the box, said fitting having upwardly extending spaced-apart arms, means carried on the upper ends of the arms and spacedapart a distance greater than the smallest transverse dimension of the bar but less than the largest transverse dimension of the bar for engagement with the top of the bar when at right angles to its greater Width, a plate positioned within the space between Ithe arms and adapted to underlie the box, and a screw taking through the bottom of the fitting,-for engagement with the plate to clamp the parts together.

6. An outlet box hanger comprising a bar having spaced-apart openings therein, a fitting adapted to pass through an opening in the box, said fittin having an upstanding arm, a hook projectmg from the arm for engagement with an opening in the bar, and means carried by the fitting for clamping the box against the bar.

7. An outlet box hanger comprising a bar having spaced-apart openings therein, a fitting adapted to pass through an opening in the box, said fitting having upstanding arms to lie at each side of the bar, a hook projecting from an arm for engagement with an opening in the bar, and means carried by the fitting for clamping the box against the bar.

8. An outlet box hanger comprising a bar having spaced-apart openings therein, a fitting adapted to pass through an opening in the box, said fitting having upstanding arms to lie at each side of the bar, a hook projecting `from an arm for engagement with an opening in the bar, a plate positioned between the arms and adapted to underlie the box, and a screw taking through the bottom of the fitting for engagement with the plate for clamping the box against the bar.

9. An outlet box hanger comprising a bar having spaced-apart openings therein, a fitting adapted to pass through an opening in the box, said fitting having upstanding arms to lie at each side of the bar, a hook projecting from each arm at opposite sides of the fitting for engagement with a pair of openings in the bar, a plate positioned between the arms and adapted to underlie the box, and a screw taking lthrough the bottom of the fitting for engagement with the plate to press the plate box and bar together, preventing withdrawal of the hooks from the openings in the bar.

10. An outlet box hanger comprising in combination, a bar, a fitting adapted to connect a fixture thereto, said fitting having a pair of arms spaced apart and adapted to receive said bar, means for holding said bar therein, a plate slidable in the space between Said arms, and means engaging said plate to clamp the fitting against said bar.

l1. An outlet'box hanger comprising in combination, a stationary bar, a fitting adapted to secure a fixture thereto, said fitting having a pair of arms spaced apart a distance greater than the largest transverse dimension of the bar to receive the same, each of said arms having an extension, which extensions ai'e spaced apart from each other a distance slightly greater than the smallest transverse dimension of the bar, so that the fitting may be positioned in coperative relation to the bar, by moving the fitting onto the bar in one plane and then turning it so that the bar rests in the space beneath said extensions of said arms, and means for clamping said fitting to said bar.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand.

CONRAD GRN HOW.

Copie.; of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

